Friction-hinge.



:46. 646,613. Hunted Apr. 3, 1-906.

6. T. WILSON.

FRICTION HINGE. (Application filed Nov. 16, 1899.) I

2 Shaafm-Shefi l.

(No Model.)

1'"; Noam: mm; 00.. mouma. wasnmu'rom n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE T. WILSON, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK W.I/YEBB, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FRICTION-HINGE.

srEcIFIcATIon forming part of Letters Yatent No. 646,613, dated April 3,mod

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. WILSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Som erville, in the county of Middlesex, State ofMassachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inFriction-Hinges, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing'had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Many articles which are made from stoneware, porcelain, or the like areprovided-with covers or other parts which are of wood or similarmaterial and are hinged to the porcelain. A water-closet bowl affords anillustration of the class of articles to which I refer. The bowl orhopper of the closetis frequently of porcelain, while the seat and coverare of wood and are secured in place on the hopper by means of hinges.Porcelain or stoneware, as is well known, is quite easily cracked orfractured, and if the wooden portion of the article-as, for example, theseat of the closetis allowed to fall on the porcelain portion it notinfrequently happens that the latter is damaged.

My invention has for its object to provide a hinge for such articles,and more especially for water-closet seats or covers, which will preventthefalling of the seat or cover, and thus eliminate the danger ofinjuring the porcelain hopper resulting therefrom.

In the following description, in which reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, I have fully set forththe nature and character ofmy invention and in the claims at the'close of this specification I havepointed out and clearly defined the novelfeatures thereof- Referring tothe drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a water-closet bowl with ahinge embodying my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe porcelain bowl shown in Fig, 1. Fig. 3 is a plan View, Fig. 4 is ahorizontal sectional View, and Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly insection, of a hinge embodying my invention. Fig. 6 is a detail hereinafter referred to.

A hopper or bowl of porcelain or similar fragile material is shown at A.The seat is shown at B and the cover at O. Projecting lugs 2 are formedat the rear upper portion Application filed November 16, 1899. SerialNo. 787,156. (No model.)

of the said hopper A, each of which has a vertical. hole 3 formedtherethrough for the reception of the shank 4 of one member of thehinge. The shank 4 is secured in position in the hole 3 by means of athreaded nut 5, which is screwed onto the threaded portion of the shank4 underneath the projecting lug 2, as will be clear from Fig. 1.

The hinge proper (shown more clearly in Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive)comprises a fixed member consisting of a shank portion 4, screwthreadedat its lower end to receive the nut 5 and having a shouldered head 6,which rests upon the upper surface of the lug 2 and forms a base fromwhich projects upwardly a neck portion 7 which carries a horizontal andpreferably cylindrical'portion 8. The cylindrical portion 8. hasoppositely-placed interior grooves or. recesses formed lengthwisethereof. -Within the cylinder 8 are two flanged disks 10 and 11, theflanged portions of i said disks forming inwardlyextending shortcylinders or rings when the said disks are in position in the cylinder8, as shown in Fig. 4. Each of the disks 10 and 11 has a centralopening, through which the pin 12, which secures the parts of the devicetogether, may pass. Surrounding the said pin 12 and'within the cavity orspace formed by thefianged disks is a spiralospring 13, which tends toseparate the said disks 10 and 11. Each of the disks is provided withoppositelyplaced projections 14 lengthwise of the flange portionthereof, (see Fig. 5,) which fit within the grooves or recesses 9, asshown, and serve to prevent the disks from turning relatively to thecylindrical portion 8. At each end of the cylindrical portion 8 areplaced heads 15 and 16, respectively, which are, in effect, roundedbosses or knuckles rigidly connected with and in the embodiment of thedevice herein described formed integral with the straps 17 and 18,respectively. These latter are the movable portions of the hinge in the5 application thereof which is being described. The parts 17 and 18 areprovided with holes for the reception of screws which form oneconvenient method of securing the said straps to the parts which are tobe mounted on the loo hinge, which are in this case a lid 0 and seat 13.The inner faces of the bosses or knuckles 15 and 16 are each providedwith an annular groove or recess 19 and 20, respectively, into which theends of the cylindrical portion 8 are received, as shown in Fig. 4. Thegrooves 19 and 20 are preferably somewhat deeper than the projectingends of the cylindrical portion 8, so that the straps 17 and 18 and theparts which are connected therewith may be moved slightly lengthwise ofthe cylindrical portion 8, thus permitting a slight horizontaladjustment of the portion 8 should that be desired. A slight adjustmentof this kind is frequently necessary or desirable because two hinges areusually employed in conneetion with bowls or hoppers of the kind shownin Figs. 1 and 2. One of said hinges is placed on each of the lugs 2,the shank 4 of the hinge being placed in the hole 3 formed in the saidlug 2. The holes 3 are formed when the bowl or hopper is in process ofconstruction, and it frequently happens that in heating or baking theporcelain bowl the distances between the holes 3 will be slightly variedby the expansion or contraction of the material or the like. Thelengthwise movement above referred to of the cylindrical portion 8relatively to the bosses or knuckles 15 and 16 permits the adjustment ofthe hinges to a slight variation in the distance apart of the holes 3,thereby permitting the straps 17 and 18 to be secured to the lid 0 andseat B before the said lid and seat are attached to the bowl or hopper,as is desirable and convenient.

The bosses or knuckles 15 and 16 are each provided with a central holethrough which the pin 12 passes, and when the parts of the hinge areassembled the inner faces of the said bosses 15 and 16 are'in frictionalcontact with the proximate faces of the flanged disks 11 and 10,respectively. The pin 12 is grooved or slotted at each end lengthwisethereof, as shown at 21, (see Figs. 4and 6,) the said slots beingprovided for the reception of an inward projection 22 on each of thewashers 23. The ends of the pin 12 are screw-threaded, and the portionsthereof which project outside the bosses or knuckles 15 and 16 when theparts of the device are assembled receive the washers 23 and outside thesaid washers a nut 24. Each of the nuts 24 is provided with a threadedrecess 25 of greater depth than the length of the projecting portion ofthe pin 12. The nuts 24 are provided with rounded heads or ends for thepurpose of finish and ornament, the said form not being essential to mydevice. lVhen the nuts are so formed, they are provided, preferably,with holes 26 for the reception of a pin or similar device, by means ofwhich the said nuts may be turned in the process of screwing them on oroff the ends of the pin 12. The projections 22 on the washers 23, whichlie in the grooves 21 of the nut 12 serve to prevent the said washersfrom turning relatively to the said pin, which is desirable. When theparts of the device are assembled, the bosses or knuckles 15 are restrained from free movement on the pin by the frictional contact oftheir inner faces with the flanged disks 11 and 10, respectively, andthis friction, as will be clear, may be increased as desired by screwingthe nuts 24 farther onto the ends of the pin 12. By thus setting up thenuts 2& the bosses or knuckles 15 and 16, respectively, are forcednearer together, and these in turn force the flanged disks 11 and 10toward each other, compressing the spring 13 and causing the said springto exert a greater pressure, and thereby to hold the flanged disks 11and 10 more firmly against the inner faces of the bosses or knuckles 15and 16, respectively. This arrangement of parts secures an even tensionor friction, since the spring 13 will serve to take up any wear betweenthe frictional surfaces.

The shank portions of the straps 17 and 18 are bent upwardly anddownwardly, respectively, as will be clear from Fig. 1, so as to bringthe upper surfaces of the said straps into the planes,respectively,ofthe under sides of the lid 0 and seat B. The. lid 0 may be provided inthe well-known manner with one or more rubber buttons or buffers 30,which serve to hold it out of contact with the seat B, and in the sameway the said seat may be held out of contact with the top of theporcelain bowl or hopper by means of one or more rubber buttons orbuffers 31.

In the embodiment of my invention hereinbefore described two straps areshown. It will be clear that only one such strap may be employed withoutdeparting from my invention. 111 such case the boss or knuckle at oneend of the cylindrical portion 8 may be simply a disk or head of metalsecured to the said cylindrical case or portion 8, while the pin 12would have at one end, preferably, a rigid head instead of a nut.

As will be clear, the straps or securing portions of the members of thehinge may be varied in accordance wit-h the use for which the hinge isrequired.

By the employment of my device any degree of friction desired may beobtained, and thus the device is adapted for supporting and holding atany angle a cover or seator similar part whether the said part be heavyor light.

What I claim is- 1. A friction hinge comprising a hollow member or case,a disk within said member movable longitudinally therein, a springengaging'said disk, another member rotatable relatively to said hollowmember, and in frictional contact with said disk, and means for securingthe said parts together with varying degrees of pressure at thefriction-surfaces, substantially as described.

2. A friction-hinge comprising a hollow member, a disk within saidmember movable longitudinally therein, a spring engaging said disk,another member rotatable relatively to said hollow member and infrictional contact with said disk, means for securing said partstogether comprising a pin passing centrally e iaeis through said diskand said rotatable member and a threaded nut on said pin, substantiallyas described.

3. A friction-hinge comprising one member having a hollow cylindricalportion, two flanged disks located within said cylindrical portion andmovable longitudinally therein, a spring between said disks which tendsto force the said disks apart, a boss or knuckle at each end of saidcylindrical portion, each boss or knuckle being in frictional contactwith one of said disks and means for securing the said parts togetherand for varying the said frictional contact as desired, substantially asdescribed. I v

4. A friction-hinge comprising one member having a hollow cylindricalportion, a springpressure device within said cylindrical portion, andmovable longitudinally thereof, a boss or "knuckle at each end of saidcylindrical portion, said bosses or knuckles being frictionallyrestrained by said spring-pressure device, an annular recess or groovein each boss or knuckle into which one end of said cylindrical portionprojects and is movable therein and means for securing the said partstogether, substantially as described.

5. A friction-hinge comprising one member having a hollow cylindricalportion or case, and two other members one at each end of saidcylindrical portion and rotatable relatively to the latter, aspring-pressure device located within said hollow cylindrical portionand exertinga pressure on each of said rotatable members, and means forsecuring said parts together, comprising a pin which passes through saidrotatable members and is provided at each end with a screw-nut wherebyby turning the said nuts the rotatable members. may be forced towardeach other against the pressure of the interposed spring-pressure deviceand the friction varied as desired, substantially as described.

6. A friction-hinge comprising a hollow cylindrical member, two diskswithin said member, means as the recess 9 and projection 1-1 forpreventing said disks from rotating relaengaging the latter, a rotatableboss or knuckle at each end of said case, a securingpin and nuts thereonfor securing said parts together, each end of said pin being slottedlengthwise thereof and having a washer thereon provided with aprojection engaging said slot, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE T. WILSON. Witnesses:

WM. A. MACLEOD, ALIoE I-I. MORRISON.

